By Barth Ikiebe
The National leadership of Labour Party led by Sen. Nenadi Esther Usman has thrown its weight behind Mr Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of LP in 2023 presidential poll to participate in coalition meetings to unseat President Bola Tinubu.
The LP National leadership said its attention was drawn to reports circulating in some sections of the media suggesting that certain members of the party, led by the former chairman, Barr. Julius Abure, whose tenure expired on 8th June 2024 and presently under a subsisting suspension, has voiced disapproval over the participation of Mr Peter Obi, in the ongoing coalition movement aimed at rescuing Nigeria from the APC administration in 2027.
“The world should be aware that the National Working Committee (NWC) on behalf of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Party, under the able leadership of Distinguished Senator Nenadi Usman, expressly approved and endorsed Peter Obi’s participation in the ongoing patriotic convergence of well-meaning Nigerians committed to dismantling the Tinubu administration in 2027.
According to a statement by an aide to Nenadi Usman, Ken Asogwa,”It is worth reiterating that Obi has consistently maintained that his interest lies solely in a coalition focused on eradicating hunger, insecurity, and poor governance – a vision that aligns squarely with the founding principles and aspirations of the Labour Party (LP). It is therefore baffling, that individuals who have been shown the exit door for their anti-party activities now seek to question a move so clearly rooted in national interest.
It stated that: “One is left wondering whose agenda Julius Abure and his cohorts have truly been advancing. Is it that they disagree with Obi and the Labour Party that Nigeria is presently facing an unprecedented crisis requiring collective action to salvage?”
“While the Labour Party wholeheartedly welcomes the coalition movement driven by the Nigerian people, we also reaffirm Peter Obi’s unequivocal right to contest the 2027 elections under the Labour Party platform – should the ongoing coalition efforts fail to materialise.
“In the meantime, it is rather comical that Abure and his band of entertainers continue to peddle the narrative of a purported 2024 national convention which was self-convened, unlawful, and ultimately denounced by the Supreme Court of Nigeria as illegal.”
The repeated reference to this so-called convention is not only misleading but also a flagrant contempt of the Supreme Court’s judgment of 4th April 2025 that Sacked Julius Abure having Nullified the Federal High Court and Appeal Court Judgements that recognized Abure As National Chairman for lack of Jurisdiction in addition to the expiration of the tenure of the 2019 elected NWC members on 8th June 2024 and should be treated as such by the appropriate legal authorities.
In view of the foregoing, the general public is hereby advised to disregard any statements emanating from those it called impostors masquerading as party leaders. For authentic and authoritative information regarding the Labour Party, the public is urged to rely solely on communications from the office of the National Chairman of the party led by Distinguished Senator Nenadi Usman.
